"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Elwyn Crocker Sr., 50, once worked as Santa Claus at the local Wal-Mart in Effingham County, Georgia, but that’s not why he’s in the news this holiday season. The bodies of two of his children, Elwyn Crocker Jr. and Mary Crocker, were found buried in the backyard of his home:

As expected by authorities, autopsies have confirmed the identities of two children found buried in their family’s backyard in Effingham County, though many questions remain about the deaths, coroner David Exley said Monday.
“The cause and manner of death is still pending,” he said, adding it could take weeks.
The trouble, he said, is partly that Mary Crocker and Elwyn Crocker Jr. had been buried so long ago — Mary for perhaps a few months, Elwyn for maybe as long as two years. The remains of the siblings, who were both 14 years old when they were last seen but hadn’t been reported missing, were discovered Thursday in the rural town of Guyton by the Effingham Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies went to the house after a tipster called 911 to express concern regarding the whereabouts of the girl. An interview with the father, Elwyn Crocker Sr., revealed information that sent deputies to check the backyard for the bodies.
The father, who turns 50 on Christmas and until recently played Santa at a nearby Walmart in Rincon, has been charged with child cruelty and concealing a death. The same charges have also been filed against his wife, Candice Crocker, 33, her mother, Kim Wright, 50, and Wright’s boyfriend, Roy Anthony Prater, 55. All lived in the home and could face additional charges, authorities have said. They remain in the county jail without bond.

Left to right: Candice Crocker, Roy Prater, Kim Wright.

What a classy looking crew they are, huh?

Of course, they’re all presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but if ugly was a crime . . . Well, I rest my case, your honor.